The Soldiers
by Charles Basilone
Summary: They called him The Broken Soldier. What they didn't know was that there were many more like him. OR Jason is seen by fandom as being symbolic of a broken soldier. But almost every demigod in PJO is a broken soldier, that each has their own tragedy. Glimpses into the lives of various PJO characters, and how they tell us something about war. Rated T, warnings inside.
1. Nico and Luke

They called him The Broken Soldier. What they didn't know was that there were many more like him.

OR

Jason is seen by fandom as being symbolic of a broken soldier. But what they don't realize is that almost every demigod in PJO is a broken soldier, that each has their own tragedy.

This is a series of glimpses into the lives of various PJO characters, and how they tell us something about what war can do to us. Kinda goes hand-in-hand with a Captain Rex fanfic I'm writing about the all-consuming nature of being a soldier. The writing will slide back and forth between narrative and out-of-universe description.

WARNING: I talk about some extremely sensitive topics, alcoholism, drug usage, suicide, self-harm, violence of all kinds, maybe in future chapters (as I get further through the character list) some others, such as abuse.

Disclaimer: I'm not Rick Riordan.

* * *

 **NICO**

Nico suffers alone. His mind is filled with the torments of his past. But Nico is strong, or so he says. He's not a people person. Withdrawn, he fights the demons in his head alone.

He collapses on his rack in his dark apartment, shaking and sobbing.

The hash marks perpendicular to the bone on each forearm were nearly healed. He had made them with a mortal knife, not wanting the quick release that would be his death if he used his Stygian Iron sword.

He looks at it now, sitting on his bed, it on the floor where he left it. He's still shaking, still sobbing. He takes a deep breath and picks up his sword. It's time for his pain to end.

 _Nico is the 20 we couldn't save._

* * *

 **LUKE**

Luke was just a kid, sent because they had nothing else to do with him.

He came back from the Garden of the Hesperides at 17, having failed a quest given to him that someone else had already completed. He was consumed with disgust. He had done what they asked, and for what? The gods didn't care. His father didn't love him, nor did he even find him useful. But Kronos did. Kronos could help him change the world. He liked that.

 _Luke is the one we taught we didn't care about him, and so he became embittered._

 **If you liked it, please review. I'm not sure about this story, it's rough for me as the writer. I see too many of my friends in these pages. I plan to continue to cover Percy, Jason, Annabeth and Leo, at least. I'm writing each as I think of their "archetype." I know it's not really a literary archetype but there is no word I can think of to describe it. If you need something lighter after this, check out** ** _Reconciliation._** **It's a kind of silly story I wrote about how Athena comes to realize Percy may not be all bad.**

 **Very respectfully,**

 **Charles Basilone**


	2. Jason and Percy

Disclaimer: Don't own.

 **JASON**

He can't help but see their faces when he closes his eyes. Roman soldiers, loyal troops, and he led them to their deaths. Even now, years later, he can't stop seeing their faces. It's his fault, he thinks bitterly. He was their commanding officer. If he'd done better, there wouldn't be so many of his friends dead. He shook his head and rose. He had work to do.

A few hours later, he collapsed back at his desk. He had been working on tasks for both camps all day, and now he was exhausted. But he didn't want to go to sleep. His ghosts haunted him each and every night. The visions of the battle on Mount Tam never seemed to leave him. He pulled out some paperwork and got started.

"John, take your century and seize that ridge! We won't be able to storm the stronghold unless you seize that outpost up there, their archers have us pinned!" Jason ordered.

He was horrified to see 1st Century, 1st Cohort, 12th Legion Fulminata, surge up the hill only to be cut down. John led the charge, and they fought bravely, but John died within two minutes, and the cohort suffered losses equal to half of its strength, many of them Jason's friends.

Jason woke up from his memory, jerking upright at his desk, covered in a sheen of glistening sweat. He wiped his brow and sighed. Maybe someday he'd have peace.

 _Jason is the commander who can't get over the deaths of those he led in combat, believing if he had been better, maybe they wouldn't have died._

* * *

 **PERCY**

Percy is tired. The exhaustion seeps from his body. They sent him to war at 12. He's 17 now. The PTSD was bad after the Titan War; it only got worse. He was used by the gods, and now visions of Tartarus, of the Battle of Manhattan, of the Labyrinth are permanently scarred into his brain. Each time he thinks he can rest, another quest, another prophecy, another war pops up, and the gods call him. He just wants to be left in peace.

 _Percy is a lot like Luke: he's disenchanted and weary, angry and a bit disgusted. But he's a loyal soldier, and the thought of betraying his cause, no matter how poorly it treats him, is worse than death._

 **A/N: Like I said, a hard story to write. Too many of my friends in these pages. Let me know if you want me to continue.**

 **Very respectfully,**

 **Charles Basilone**


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